Massage Therapy CEs | Prenatal/Doula/Infant Courses

Prenatal Massage Techniques (Step Two)

Prerequisite: You must have enrolled in, and/or completed (Step One) Pregnancy Massage Fundamentals prior to taking this course. You will not qualify for your prenatal certification until you have completed both courses. See the package offers below if you are enrolling in both steps at the same time.

Massage therapy continuing education CEs earned: 12. The average massage therapist should expect to devote one clock hour for every CE credit earned, based on NCBTMB calculations. These are online, home study CEs. They are not "live" or "classroom" hours. We do not offer live seminars at this time.

Classification of hours: Kinesthetic (hands-on). Some states, such as Texas, do not accept kinesthetic hours by home study for your required license renewal continuing education, but you can still legally practice the techniques, and advertise your certification title, provided that you have a valid massage therapy license and are legally allowed to practice massage therapy in your jurisdiction.

Approved by: Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019). Our courses are also valid for AMTA, ABMP, and most individual states. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.

Tuition: $139 for online course and test. $179 plus shipping for by mail materials, also with online course and test. Students who enroll by mail will have instant access to online materials, and will receive the hard copies by mail, shipped within 1 - 3 business days of enrollment. Mailed material is our bound student handout and DVD. Any PDF files attached to the online course will not be included. You may print them yourself if you want a hard copy.

Certification Fee: For your 12 CEs, simply print the online certificate associated with the online test. No further homework or fees are required to earn your CEs. However, if you also wish to earn the OPTIONAL title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, you must return the homework documentation pages along with a one-time certification fee of $35.00. There is no expiration date or required renewal for this certification. The homework consists of two prenatal massages (with two different clients, at least 20 weeks into their pregnancy) and one postpartum massage (with someone no more than 14 days postpartum.)

Package Special Prices: Sign up on this page if you have already taken Step One and now want to enroll in only Step Two. If you are interested in taking several of our related courses at a discounted tuition, please see our package specials:

If you are taking Prenatal Steps One and Two, and a 3 hour ethics course and 3 hours research course, in order to renew with the NCBTMB, use coupon code PgNCB to save $47 off of the total. (The normal coupon code for the prenatal steps one and two gives you $25 off the total, so you save an additional $22 with enrollment in the research and ethics courses.)

Testing: You will take the online test to earn your CEs. All online exams must be completed within one year of enrollment.

Instructor: Judith Koch, BCTMB

Course Materials: The course consists of the Massage Doula student handout and video files in an online format, along with homework documentation paperwork. For students who prefer a book and DVD by mail, there is a "hard copy order form" you can use to order hard copies of the course materials.

Course Description: If you wish to move beyond the Step One - Prenatal Fundamentals to earn the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, you next take the Prenatal Certification course (worth 12 kinesthetic CEs), which teaches you how to perform a full body massage during all three trimesters of pregnancy. You will learn techniques utilizing your forearms and elbows to reduce stress to your hands and thumbs.

This course teaches a side-lying and modified supine positioning, recommended for second and third trimesters. First trimester clients can likely receive massage in the standard prone/supine positioning if they prefer. We do not recommend specialty tables or equipment designed for allowing the woman to lay on her stomach after the first trimester for several reasons: Unless it is perfectly molded to her body, it will cause strain on her uterine ligaments, it is difficult to get in and out of in the final trimester, and makes no provision for a modified supine position (necessary to keep the weight of the uterus off of the vena cava). Therapists who prefer such positioning will need to modify the techniques taught to accomodate the changed position.

Required course activities: You study the course materials and take the written exam to earn your 12 CEUs. Then to earn the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist (CPMT), you will also submit documentation of performing two prenatal massage sessions. (See "Optional Certification Title" section below.)

Optional Certification Title: Upon completion of the online exam, you will be able to print a certificate that provides evidence of your CEUs. That is the certificate that you will provide to any state or national agency that is requiring proof of continuing education. OPTIONAL: If you wish to earn the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, complete the online exams for steps one and two, then complete the certification documentation paperwork that you can download when you are logged in to step two. Upon submission of this documentation and one-time $35 processing fee, we will send you a gold-embossed certificate awarding the title of "Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist". Upon earning the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, you have the option of a free listing at www.massagedoula.com.

The certification documentation consists of paperworkw that we provide, where you perform a self-analysis of your practice sessions. For example, you will answer questions such as: Looking back at your session, what was the best part of the experience? How you can build on that in future sessions? What was the biggest challenge with this massage? What can you do to mitigate this challenge so it is less a problem in the future? What questions did your client have? How can you implement that information into future work? Based on this experience, what are three things you can do better next time?

For clarification on the difference between earning a "certificate" versus a "certification", see our blog post that explains.

For clarification on the difference between having a certificate and being licensed, see our blog post that explains.

Attention Florida & Georgia licensees: Institute of Somatic Therapy will automatically report your hours to CE Broker ONLY IF you have provided your license number in your online account with us. You can verify your license information by logging on to our website, and reviewing your account information. If your license is not shown there, please select “edit” to include it. Please note: this is an ONLINE course, and is not considered "LIVE" for Florida purposes.

Student comments:

"Some women are very active but because they are pregnant many times they have the same issues with the hip,
leg and abdomen. This massage we learned here was so much more effective on helping these areas than one
I was taught formally." Dee Nicovich, Joppa, AL

"I am really super excited to have taken the courses because:
- It is extremely well done. The material is clear, well organized and contains a wealth of information regarding pregnancy. It makes you want to learn more and I truly enjoyed the process.
- It gave me the level of confidence I needed to start building a prenatal massage clientele.
- On top of the basic prenatal chapters, the training offers extremely useful Marketing and Sale advices containing some of the best ideas I've heard so far (I've been in business a little bit over a year) and I can apply them to any massage modality I want to sell.
Thank you again for this great training and for offering the class online!"Céline F. Consoli, Honolulu, HI

"Having a private massage therapy practice, I have had many inquiries regarding if I offer prenatal. I have always referred these women, as I did not feel confident working on them without being certified. After a few consecutive phone calls, I decided to find out what it would take to become certified and found this wonderful program. At first I was worried that by taking this type of course online, I would be "missing out", and leave it still feeling ill equipped with expectant mothers. I soon discovered that I was quite wrong!
This course is so informative, covering aspects of pregnancy, the birthing process, techniques, draping, even incredible business and marketing tips. I was also amazed to discover that it provides dimensions and directions for having an optimal bolster system made for mothers-to-be. Videos of a routine, links to more helpful videos, and a list reference books were also provided.
Upon starting this course, I thought that I would gain knowledge of how to work on pregnant women, contraindications, how to drape and bolster, and that would pretty much be it. Yet I left this course with so much more, so many extremely helpful ideas of how to be the best, most helpful prenatal massage therapist that can help guide and support women through the pregnancy process.
I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in prenatal massage therapy. It has given me the confidence I was looking for plus so much more!" Rebecca Leaden, New Milford, CT

"Thank you so much. I did not expect to enjoy these courses (prenatal steps one and two) as much as I have. I just purchased the doula class and I'm sure I'll be taking the infant massage course, as well. Thank you so much for helping me grow my business and become more passionate about my craft." Whitney Brown, Bremen, Kentucky

"Thanks for offering this course. I had prenatal training in 2007, and wanted to take this as a re-fresher. I have been providing prenatal massages and I very much appreciate your rational approach to everything, without all of the fear-based info that I received in 2007. It's a very good course." Jacki Sellers, CMT, NCTMB, CMLDT, Aliso Viejo, CA

"Thank you for all of your help with this course. It's an awesome course! I've taken a few other Prenatal massage courses and found yours the most comprehensive. Thanks again." Patti Nebel, Wenonah, NJ

"Thank you for offering this course!!! It was very easy to follow, the information was very thorough, and it was a convenient and more affordable alternative to other prenatal courses. As a licensed massage therapist, I strongly believe in the benefits of prenatal massage - for the mom-to-be and the baby. This course gave me everything I need to confidently incorporate prenatal massage into my practice. I ordered this course along with the Doula course, and am really looking forward to obtaining Doula certification next." K. Jackson, Las Vegas, NV

"Thank you for developing such a wonderful course! My massage office is located within a birth center & I have been giving pre & post natal massage for 6 years now, I LOVE it!! I have read several books and watched a few DVDs on the subject and the information in your workbook & DVD is by far the best. I have learned so much & am so exicted to share this info with my clients. Thanks you." Heather Barber LMT, Palmer, Alaska

"I have been a holistic therapist for the last 27 years and have invested a lot of money in furthering my education. Some courses were worth it...many others weren't. I love the courses you offer not only because there is so much to choose from but also because all is actually applicable! So many times I have taken courses and half of what was being taught had absolutely no relevance. Your courses are of high quality and they are relevant - that's the most important aspect for me. I know I'll be back for more :) Cheers," Gabriela Eikeland, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. Courses Gabriela has taken: Manual Lymph Massage, Prenatal Fundamentals, Prenatal Techniques, Spa Fundamentals, Communicable Diseases

"Thank you for putting Prenatal Massage Certification course together. It was wonderful. I learned so much and realized afresh how much I love massaging mothers-to-be. I look forward to expanding my practice to include prenatal massage. Thank you for all the time, energy, expertise, resources, perseverance and commitment it took for you to produce this course. You have enriched my career and will share in the enrichment I am privileged to pass to my clients. I know being equipped to do prenatal massage will expand and extend my career. Blessings," Susan Valk, Austin, TX

About the Instructor: Judith Koch has been in the massage therapy field since 1991, after taking to heart a book that encourages seeking a career doing something that you love. In her former career, as a sales trainer and manager, she would frequently give her staff neck and shoulder rubs. Always fond of receiving massage herself, she realized this was a career she would love. Once Judith began, it was obvious that this was her niche. Her first discovery was that people like their massage therapist a whole lot better than they like their sales managers. She was hooked.

Less than two years after entering the massage field, three of her regular clients all got pregnant at once. Knowing that they must certainly need massage now more than ever, but having been taught that pregnancy was a contraindication for massage, she decided to fly half way across the country to attend an advanced prenatal, labor and infant massage certification course. She couldn’t believe it -- she found a niche within her niche, and was hooked again, this time getting to watch little miracles happen as icing on the cake. She continued her massage education and achieved national certification status in 1993. Her business continued to grow. An article appeared in the newspaper. The local television news included her in one of their health segments. Massage and Bodywork Quarterly, a national massage association journal, did a story on her. Parenting Magazine did year later. As the years progressed, she has given countless prenatal massages, and attended nearly 100 births. Her mothers maintained an unbelievable average of about four hours of labor, most completely drug free.

Early in her prenatal massage career, Judith started hearing about women called doulas (from the Greek word for “servant”), who helped women during labor. Judith had been relying almost exclusively on massage to assist her clients, and she wanted to see what these non-massage therapists were doing to ease labor. She attended the doula training nearest her, and two months later again flew half-way across the country, this time to take advanced doula training from Penny Simkin, a physical therapist who was instrumental in beginning the doula movement within the United States. There, Judith discovered a range of methods to make the laboring and pushing processes easier. Her certification with Doulas of North America was actually delayed several months because her mothers were having their babies too fast to meet DONA’s minimum five hour labor requirement. Based on her extensive training and experience, she has developed these courses for massage during all stages of pregnancy and delivery, as well as basic infant massage and movement. Isn’t it time you learn how to start watching miracles happen for a living?

If you are interested in this massage therapy CEU course, other courses that might be of interest to you are: Prenatal Massage Fundamentals (Step One), Massage Doula Certification (Step Three), Infant Massage, and Fertility Massage.

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, please go to the "contact" link above. Thank you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I have to be a licensed massage therapist to take this course? While our courses are designed as continuing education for licensed and/or certified massage therapists, a massage student can begin them while still in massage school, or a non-licensed person may take them for their personal use. Of course, they may not legally charge for these services without a massage license if their jurisdiction requires one, as most jurisdictions do. In most jurisdictions, doulas or other prenatal healthcare providers can use the techniques within the scope of their training and authority, such as a doula using some of the prenatal massage techniques during labor and delivery. You cannot, however, hold yourself out to be a certified prenatal massage therapist without having a massage therapy certification or license.

I am currently enrolled in massage therapy school. Is it possible for me to take the prenatal massage package with doula massage while I am in school still? Yes, you are welcome to begin taking the courses now. Many people do just that. The advantages to an early start are that the minute you do have your license, you’ll be certified and ready to “hit the ground running” in your chosen specialty. Just be aware that you cannot legally practice if you do not yet have any massage license that the jurisdiction where you live requires.

Do you offer installment payments or financing? We accept credit cards, so you can make payments to your credit card company as it fits your budget. We do not offer private financing.

How long will it take me to complete this course? The number of massage continuing education hours awarded was determined by the NCBTMB, although not everyone reads and studies at the same rate. Some massage therapists report that they are faster or slower than the number of CEs awarded. The theory is that it should take the average person one clock hour for every CE earned, so a 12 hour course should take you 12 actual hours to complete. Therefore, if you work on it 6 hours a day, you'll complete it in two days. If you work on it one hour a month, it will take you a year to complete. You can work on it at your convenience and set your own schedule. Just be sure to complete the course within one year of enrollment, or it will expire.

Will completing this class certify me in my home state to give me the massage license to work with clients? This common question confuses “certification” with “licensure”. Certification is evidence of education. Licensure is a legal permit to practice a profession. Please read our blog article for an in-depth explanation on the difference between these two terms.

Do you offer this seminar in a live classroom setting, or only online? This course is currently only offered online. With the expense of travel and lodging for our instructor, plus her salary, plus profit and expenses for hosting schools, the tuition would be triple of what it is online. And that isn’t counting the expense (lost work, potential travel expenses, etc) that you would incur on top of tuition. For more on the advantages and disadvantages for live and online courses, check out our blog post on this topic.

I have had some prenatal massage elsewhere. Can I skep Step One and go directly to Step Two? No. We have no idea what your intial training taught and how it may or may not substitute for our training. We have seen pregnancy massage courses that were little more than how to give a regular massage in a sidelying position, without giving any information at all on the physiological changes of pregnancy, complications that could contraindicate massage, etc. We feel it is better that you take a chance of some redundancies than take a chance that you don't learn something important.

Are your online courses downloadable to my computer? You must be logged in on our website to view at least some of the course materials. Many of our courses do have some downloadable files attached. We also offer the option to purchase hard copies of the book and DVD if you prefer to have hard copies for your reference library.

Will your online courses work on my phone, tablet, or other device? Yes. Since technology continues its rapid pace forward, it is impossible for us to provide a current and complete list of all devices on which our courses will work. We invite you to take our free sample course so that you can personally test if the online content and streaming video work on your device.

What is the study guide that comes with the course? The course study guide is a copy of the questions you will find on the online exam. As you study the course materials, you can fill in the answers on the guide, to refer to when you complete the online exam. We do not provide page numbers where you will find the answers to the questions, because we want you to study the entire course materials, not just flip to a page to find an answer to a test question. Because the study guide contains the actual test questions, we do not provide an answer key. It is your job to find the answers as you study. You will get your grade when you complete the online exam.

Can I print the online courses if I want a hard copy? Most browsers allow you to print screen shots of any web page you visit but often the formatting leaves much to be desired. If you prefer hard copies, you have the option to purchase them after enrollment. Just look for the "hard copy order form" PDF file with the course materials.

Can I review the online course materials after I’ve completed the test? Yes. Even after completing the test, you will always have the option to access the course materials, print another certificate, or review your test results.

Can I print the online test to work on it at my convenience?Yes. We provide a study guide with this course that has the test questions and answer choices. You can print it off and work on it as you study. When you are ready to take the test, you will log into the system and supply your answers to the test questions.

What happens if I fail the test? Do I have to pay again? No. If you happen to fail our test, you can continue to retest until you do pass at no additional charge.

Is online testing the only testing option you have available? If you enroll online, you will automatically be set up to take the online exam. If you prefer to have a paper test you can submit the study guide by following the instructions on the bottom of the study guide. There is a $20 fee for processing paper testing, which includes the premium, gold-embossed sealed certificate (online testers also have the option to purchase a premium certificate for $15).

Do you report our course completions to the NCBTMB, ABMP, AMTA, or any other agencies? None of these agencies have a method for us to report to them on your behalf. They prefer that you provide the evidence of CEs that their renewal process details.